Enes Kanter appears to be reaching a breaking point with the Knicks.
The center was relegated to the bench for the second straight game in favor of 23-year-old Luke Kornet on Saturday in a 129-97 blowout loss to the Jazz and the new role does not appear to be jelling with the 26-year-old veteran.
Kanter did not check into the game until late in the first quarter with the Knicks already down 14 points and played just 17 minutes in a loss that saw the Knicks trail by as many as 46 points at one point.
"We're down by like 40 or 50," Kanter told reporters after the game. "It's very embarrassing. I understand we want our young guys to get better, but it's very painful to watch it. I try to stay positive and help the young guys get better, but like I said, I have no idea why they're doing that."
Kanter, who excercised an $18.6 million player option to return to the Knicks this season, went 0-for-6 from the field and finished with four rebounds and three assists in the game while Kornet finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes of action.
Yet Kornet struggled to defend Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who had 25 points and 16 rebounds.
"I don't understand," Kanter said. "This is too early in the season to shut me down. My goal is to go out there and try to be an All-Star this year. That was my goal. But now, look at the situation. You can't do anything about it. You've got to stay positive. Just got to stay positive."
Head coach David Fizdale had said he wanted to give Kornet another look with the starting lineup after he scored a career-high 23 points against the Bucks on Thursday but this is not the first time Kanter has been benched in favor of a younger player.
Five games into the season, Fizdale gave rookie Mitchell Robinson the nod over Kanter before the veteran eventually reclaimed his spot back.
Kanter, a free-agent this summer, said he just wants to win -- something the Knicks have done just once in their last 13 games.
"I think every player's job to just go out there and fight every minute on the court," he said. "That's what I want to do. Just want to go out there and just play basketball. So I don't understand why they're shutting me down."